Electric illumination for railroad-cars.



No. 734,298. PAT-ENTED JULY 21, 1903. M. BIITTNER. ELECTRIC ILLUMINATIONFOR RAILROAD CARS.

. APPLIUATION FILED APR. 25, 1902.

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. M. BUT'I'NERJ PATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

ELECTRIC ILLUMINATION FOR RAILROAD CARS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 25, 1902.

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No. 734,298. PATENTED JULY 21, 1903 M. B'ITTTNER.

ELECTRIC ILLUMINATION FOR RAILROAD CARS.

APPLICATION FILED APR; 25, 1902. N0 MODEL. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

PATENTED JULY 21, 1903.

M. BI'ITINER.

ELECTRIC ILLUMINATION FOR RAILROAD CARS.

APPLIGATION FILED APR. 25, 1902.

4 SHEETF-SHEET 4.

N0 MODEL.

mz Monms PETERS co. PHOTO-THO WASHINGTON, D. c.

' ing is a full, clear, and exact description.

UNITED STATES Patented July 21, 1905.

PATENT ()FFICE.

ELECTRIC ILLUMINATION FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 734,298 dated July 21,1903.

Application filed April 25, 1902. I

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that 1, MAX BiiTTNER, a subject of the King of Saxony,residing in Deutsch Wilmersdorf, Germany, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Electric Illumination for Railroad-Oars, of which thefollow- The invention relates to railroad-cars carrying a dynamo drivenfrom one of the cal axles or by a steam-engine or a steam-turbine fedwith steam by the locomotive for generating an electric current for theelectric lamps.

The object of the improvement is to provide certain new and usefulimprovements in electric illumination of railroad-cars whereby theincandescent lamps burn uniformly at a predetermined candle-powerirrespective of the varying speed of the train and without the use ofelectromagnetic regulators.

The invention consists of combinations of known features and parts ofthe same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointedout in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in whichsimilar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all theviews.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of the improvement in case the dynamo isdriven from one of the car-axles, and Figs. 2, 3, 4t, and 5 are similarviews of modified forms of the improvement. Fig. 6 shows adiagrammaticview of the improved arrangement in case the dynamo isdriven from a steam engine or turbine fed with steam by the locomotive.

In electric car illumination as heretofore practiced a dynamo drivenfrom one of the car-axles was employed to generate a current for thelamps and to feed a storage battery, suitable electromagnetic regulatorsbeing used, which only function when the train reaches a predeterminedspeed and which serve to switch the dynamo onto the lamps and thestorage battery or the storage battery onto the lamps. Theelectromagnetic regulators employed for the purpose do not workproperly, however, under the varying conditions incident to a car movingat given speeds between its terminals, so that the illumination isfrequentlyinterrupted and the instal- Serial No. 104,626. (No model.)

I lation deranged, and this is especially objectionable when the trainis in motion, as then desired repairs cannot be made.

By my improvement, presently to be described in detail, the use ofelectromagnetic regulators is entirely dispensed with and constantuniform burning of the lamps is insured at all times.

As shown in Fig. 1, the shunt-dynamo D has its armature driven from oneof the caraxles E to generate a current for the parallel incandescentlamps L, contained in the main circuit, which also contains a storagebattery 13. One or a plurality of aluminium cells A is also arranged inthe main circuit between the negative commutator-brush and the storagebattery and lamps, as plainly indicated in the drawings.

Each lamp L is provided with an iron-wire resistance W, and a switch Userves to shortcircuit some of the windings of the main or series coilon the field-magnet of the dynamo. Now when the train is inmotion theelectromotive force of the dynamo increases, and when the armature makesa certain number of revolutions then the series line is supplied withthe current, and until this takes place an energizing of thefield-magnet is accomplished through the shunt-coil, which receives thecurrent from the dynamo or from the storage battery B. The series coilis so arranged on the field-magnet that the force of the shunt-coil isreduced, so that in case the armature-of the dynamo rotates at anexceedingly high rate of speed then the current is not increasedcorrespondingly to cause injury to the plant.

Any one of the well-known devices for reversing purposes is provided.

The storage battery B is arranged parallel to the dynamo, and in casethe car is at a standstill or moves slowly it supplies the electriclamps with the necessary current, and when the armature of the dynamorotates at a very high rate of speed the storage battery receives thesurplus current and is thus charged. Now in order to prevent the currentfrom passing from the storage battery B to the dynamo and unnecessarilyheating the latter and causing loss of electricity whenever the carcomes to a standstill I provide one or more aluminium cells A, eachhaving one electrode made of aluminium and the other out of a metalinsoluble in the electrolyte. The last-mentioned metal may be iron,nickel, or platinum, and for the purpose of forming the electrolyte orliquid of the cell bicarbonate of sodium, phosphate of sodium, flouridof sodium, bicarbonate of potassium, perchlorate of potassium,bichromate of potassium, carbonate of ammonium, or the like may beemployed. If both electrodes were ot the same metal-for instance, ofiron the tension between both electrodes would amount to from two tothree volts, depending upon the current passing through the cell,whatever may be the direction of the current; but if one of theelectrodes is made of aluminium and the second electrode is composed ofiron, for instance, quite another effect will be obtained, depending onthe direction of the current. If the dynamo-current passes through thealuminium electrode out of the cell after having entered the latter bythe'other electrode, but little polarization will result; but if thecurrent is flowing in the reverse manner the polarization will be of aconsiderable amount. This fact has been made use of as follows: The cellor cells are arranged in the series line so that the dynamo-currentflowing to the negative commutator-brush of the dynamo will leave theaforesaid cell or cells through the aluminium electrode. Now by thisarrangement a return movement of the current from the storage battery 13to the dynamo D is prevented, as the current could not flow in thereverse manner through the aluminium cell or cells in view of the largeamount of polarization caused or electromotive force opposed by thecells to the flow of current in the latter-direction.

In order to protect the lamps from a too high current, I provide each ofthe lamps with an iron-wire resistance \V. Iron possesses a highcoefficient of resistance atacritical temperature. Experiments haveproved that the same varies in iron from 0.0048 to 0.018, so that itwill be immediately evident that iron resistances are better for thepresent purpose than resistances of any other metal. If the iron isheated by the current to nearly a dark red, it has at such a temperaturea relatively high coefficient of re sistance which increases rapidlywith slight increase in temperature beyond that point. Now theresistances are so proportioned as to be heated by the normal current tonearly a dark red, so that but a slight increase in the current issufficient to increase the resistance to such an extent that by anincrease of the tension of the storage-battery current the lamps receivehardly any more current than previously, so that the candle-power of thelamps is not visibly influenced-that is, no noticeable fluctuationsinthelight take place.

By the arrangement described the regulating devices controlled byelectromagnets as heretofore practiced are completely dispensed with,and a very effective electric illumination of the car not influenced bylocal conditions is the result.

In order to work the described arrangement economically, it is necessaryto arrange the field-magnet coils so that the electromotive force of thedynamo on an average speed of the car between its terminals correspondsto the tension of the storage-battery current. When the train runs at anaverage speed, then the dynamo supplies the current for the lamps; butwhen the train runs at a higher rate of speed then the dynamo alsocharges the storage battery, and when the speed of the train falls belowan average speed then the storage battery aids the dynamo in sup-'plying the necessary current for the lamps. As the car equipped with theimprovement is liable to be coupled to express-trains or ordinarypassenger-trains, its average speed between terminals variescorrespondingly, and hence it'is not desirable to permanently fix the ampere-coils for energizing the field-magnets, but to allow of regulatingthe same. This can be accomplished by the use of an adjustableresistance in the shunt-coils; but such device constantly convertselectric energy into heat, thus causing loss of energy. In order toavoid this, it is desirable to employ a switch it for shunting a portionof the series coil or of the shunt-coil or of both either parallel or inseries or completelycutting out a portion.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. l the series coil of the field-magnetis used to regulate the magnetic field of the dynamo. Theregulating-switch o is provided with several contact-pieces 0, c c and cand with a hand 2, moving over a scale d, to indicate the average speedsof express or other trains, the switch being set accordingly previous tothe train starting on its journey. The regulating position 1, in whichthe series coil is completely cut out, will be used for normal averagespeeds, the position 2, in which parts of the series windings areparallel, may be used for somewhat higher average speeds, while theposition 3, in which the series coil is completely cut in, can he usedfor highest average speeds.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 the shunt-coil of the field-magnet isused to regulate the magnetic field in a similar way as above. In theposition 1 the shunt-coil is completely out in, in position 2 parts ofthe same are parallel, and in position 3 the series coil is partiallycut out.

In Fig. 3 a combination of the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2is shown, the series coil and the shunt-coil being capable ofregulation. The regulator positions 1 1, 2 2, and 3 3 are those fornormal, higher, and highest average train speeds.

A supplementary circuit may also be used for the purpose mentioned andswitched either with the series coil or a portion thereof, as shown inFig. 4, or with the shunt-coil, as shown in Fig. 5.

The arrangement according to Fig. 6 differs from those already describedonly by the dynamo D not being driven from one of. the car-axles; butthe dynamo is driven by a steam-engine, a steam-turbine, or the like fedwith steam by the locomotive. The previouslymentioned simplicity andadvantages are also obtained in this arrangement. The aluminium cell orcells A are not absolutely necessary in this case.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- 1. The combination in an electric train-illuminatingplant, of a dynamo, means for driving the same, a storage battery,incandescent lamps, and metallic resistances in series with said lamps,said resistances being so propor: tioned and maintained at such atemperature that any increase in the current flowing to said lamp causesa corresponding increase in the resisting power of the aforesaid metalresistances, whereby the candle-power of the lamps shall not be visiblyinfluenced, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination in an electric train-illuminating plant, of a dynamo,means for driving the same, a storage battery parallel incandescentlamps, iron resistances in series with said lamps, said resistancesbeing so proportioned and maintained at such a temperature that thecandle-power of said lamps does not vary with the variations of thepower of the current, and polarizing cells placed in the current-circuitbetween the dynamo and the battery and the lamps, substantially as setforth.

3. The combination in an electric train-illuminating plant, of a dynamo,a shunt-coil and a series coil for the field-magnets thereof, said coilsacting in opposition, means for driving the dynamo, a storage battery,parallel incandescent lamps, iron resistances in series with the lampsso proportioned, and maintained at such temperature that thecandle-power of said lamps does not vary with the variations of thepower of the current, and polarized cells, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination in an electric illuminating plant, of a dynamo, meansfor regulating the efiect of the shunt-coil and the series coil of thefield-magnets, means for driving the dynamo, a storage battery, parallelincandescent lamps, iron resistances in series with said lamps soproportioned, and maintained at such temperature that the candles powerof said lamps does not vary with the varying power of the current, andpolarized cells, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof'I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

MAX BUTTNER.

Witnesses:

J QHANNES HEIN, HENRY- HASPER.

